Receipt for $1 gas station purchase

Is there any way to not look suspicious when asking for a receipt for a $1 purchase at a gas station? I'm doing my first one tomorrow and have a hunch I'm gonna have to ask for a receipt inside. Any ideas?

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More About Gas Station Mystery Shopping

Pay with a debit or credit card. They should automatically give you a receipt. If not, you just ask for one. If they look at you funny, just say that you keep track of all your purchases since you are on a tight budget. For my credit card, I say something about earning points for every purchase and I like to keep track.

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“I'm the one that's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”
~ Jimi Hendrix

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” ~ Mark Twain

“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” ~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Don't appear apologetic for one thing. I just put my hand out in anticipation of the receipt. People ask for receipts all the time and businesses are legally obligated to provide one even if you only spend a penny.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

Since we cross posted let me add this. Rather than answer their question ask one of your own, "How do YOU keep track of your expenses without receipts?"

That's true, LisaSTL. Since beginning mystery shopping a little over a year ago, I have been amazed at the number of businesses that don't routinely give receipts. Some cashiers have looked at me like I asked them to perform a magic trick.

I sometimes say I want to expense the purchase, so please give me a receipt...if they don't offer one.

.
Mike T
Looking for shops in Western Canada

"Life is good because the alternative is forever "

Shop2LiveinFL Wrote:
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> Pay with a debit or credit card. They should
> automatically give you a receipt. If not, you
> just ask for one. If they look at you funny, just
> say that you keep track of all your purchases
> since you are on a tight budget. For my credit
> card, I say something about earning points for
> every purchase and I like to keep track.

Be careful though, some companies will want an itemized receipt, and some gas stations will just give you the credit card receipt which doesn't show WHAT you purchased, it will just give a total.

I usually ask the cashier, "Can I get a receipt?" I don't care if it looks suspicious or not.

I just ask for a receipt rather I pay with cash, credit, debit, pesos, euros
barter or even dishwashing(if i forgot my wallet)

Don't care what they think.

= + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = +
There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots
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When you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing nobody

I used to feel awkward when I first started. Now, I ask all the time, shop or no shop. I never give an excuse and I am never apologetic. I want a receipt and they should give it to me.... period.

Think of it this way... you are going to the store and someone gave you $5 to get them a coffee. I would bring them back change and a receipt.

Get in that mind frame and you will be over the awkwardness in a minute.

O.o o.O

Happily shopping New England and beyond!!!!!

I always ask for a receipt no matter how little. It is none of their business why you want it.

I had one ask me the other day why I wanted a receipt for candy. He was pretty rude about it and didn't want to give me one. Obviously that went in the report.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

Thanks for all of the advice

I was just afraid of looking like "the mystery shopper" when I ask for a $1 receipt.

I just say that I need it to get points for my Receipt Hog, Punchcard, Ibotta, Checkout 51 or any of the phone apps around that people upload their receipts to on their phone -- the non-mystery shopping ones.

Shopping across Indiana but mostly around Indianapolis.

When I hand over the money, I say "I need a receipt on that." Never had a problem.

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

Be careful using credit cards or debit cards on gas station purchases. Many of the MSC's dictate cash only for the inside purchase....and many gas stations/convenience stores have minimums for credit card purchases. Believe it or not, they can actually lose money on a credit card transaction if it is too small....the CC processing companies have a minimum fee per swipe that the merchant pays.

Also, on the side of the cashier.......I own a portion of a quick service restaurant, and I worked there for the first few months after we opened till we got a manager that was able to handle it on his own. When I ran the register, I routinely printed credit card receipts for people who used them and you would be surprised how many people refused to take them and told me to just throw them away. Our register did not print out cash receipts unless you clicked a button and told it to....the reason for that is that over 90% of our customers did not want a receipt. Not making it up, actual reality.

Bottom line...your cover will be blown to every employee who knows about the mystery shopping program as soon as you ask for a receipt for a $1 cash transaction.

quilter Wrote:
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> Bottom line...your cover will be blown to every
> employee who knows about the mystery shopping
> program as soon as you ask for a receipt for a $1
> cash transaction.

Who cares?

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

I just ask for it and mumble something about my boss won't reimburse without it, "I got screwed out of over $10 on my last business trip because my boss wouldn't take my word for a bunch of $1 purchases where they didn't give me a receipt."

Time to build a bigger bridge.

I don't mumble anything. I say "Can I have a receipt for that please?" if one isn't offered. None of their business why I want one.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

I only explain if they seem surprised or put out by the request. Usually I just ask for it and say nothing.

Time to build a bigger bridge.

The gas stations I do end up as reveal and that happens shortly after the inside purchase. But I have no problem asking for a $1.00 receipt and if the cashier is rude I can be just as abrupt. But then this is NY and everybody is rude...right?

I always put more gas in than what is required since I have to drive so far away for shops, so asking for a receipt didn't feel weird. It DID in the beginning, but now? Nope. They SHOULD give a receipt. They have my money and I'm paying taxes. It's the law.

vicky5 Wrote:
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> Thanks for all of the advice

I was just
> afraid of looking like "the mystery shopper" when
> I ask for a $1 receipt.

You absolutely will look like a shopper asking for a receipt so don't bother worrying about it. It's not your fault the guidelines are written to require it.
Last time I did a series of shop/audits, I asked later on if they knew they were being shopped and 100% of them said as soon as I asked for a receipt for a pack of gum they knew.

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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

I agree. They know. I don't even know why they put a question about whether you were thanked. Of course I was thanked. Right after I asked for the receipt. The formerly grumpy cashier was suddenly all grins and niceties.

Maybe it's my region, but they don't give me the impression they know who I am. They give me my receipt and continue to be the same with the other customers.

They do change their attitude AFTER I tell them who I am though and I now hear "would you like your receipt m'am"?

Tell the cashier you're getting it for someone else...unless, of course, you're already eating the pastry you're buying.

My idea of an agreeable person is a person who agrees with me.
Benjamin Disraeli

I just recently had a a Laurel and Hardy experience asking for a receipt. "Can I have a receipt?" "What?" "A RECEIPT." "You want a Reeses Blast?" "No, the receipt!" I finally realized she would give me the receipt with my food. So I felt like an idiot and I'm not sure she evefr understood just what I was wanting.

They probably will think you are a shopper, but that's not your problem. I just do the job as I am told. I know they think I am the shopper when I do the revealed shops because strange things happen after I ask for a receipt. Today, a guy had stapled a piece of paper with his name handwritten on it to his shirt pocket. It was the tackiest looking name tag I've ever seen, and he wasn't wearing it when I did the unrevealed part.

Shopping since 1995; full-time since 2009. Blogging about shopping on www.myfrugalmiser.com.

If they don't offer, I say, "I need my receipt please."

jonk Wrote:
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> Today, a guy
> had stapled a piece of paper with his name
> handwritten on it to his shirt pocket. It was the
> tackiest looking name tag I've ever seen, and he
> wasn't wearing it when I did the unrevealed part.

HAHAHA!!! Now *that's* hilarious.

Also, like KarmaKim, I've had nearly-identical conversations on more than one occasion about the receipt. It's clear the cashier isn't giving me one, so I ask, "Can I get a receipt?" "A what?" "A receipt." "Huh?" "A RECEIPT." "A what now?" "A. REE. CEIPT." "OOOH!" And I finally get one. Good Lord!

Practitioner of the Nerdly Arts.

I'm one of those weird people who expect a receipt for my purchase, small or large, shop or no shop, and I actually look at them to ensure they are correct, also.
So yes, I ask for a receipt for my .69 donut purchase at the gas station even when it isn't a shop.
How else am I to track my budget categories and see where the money went?
Speaking of receipts, does any one else do those Sonic shops and see on the receipt that they didn't give the discount for ordering the combo? Half the time they don't put in the discount and that bumps me over the reimbursement limit. Augh.

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